Based on Observation
by Usami
Summary: /Gibson POV, post 'Soul of Evil'/ Matters of the mind are relatively simple for me to comprehend. But matters of the heart…To put it bluntly, I'm out of my league.


Happy Valentine's Day! Here's a little V-day gift for all those who happen to click on it.

I had gotten this idea a long time ago, back when 'Soul of Evil' was still fresh in my mind. But I was going to hold off writing it for a while longer, because it was going to be coupled with another 'Soul of Evil'-related oneshot. However, when I remembered Valentine's Day was coming up this week, I suddenly had the urge to write it. I guess I could have written the other oneshot as well...but considering I had three other stories to post up today, I didn't think it was gonna happen.

I'm surprised that I got _this_ one done.

Anyway, please go easy on me for this one. I had written three other Valentine's Day-related stories prior to this in just three days, so by the time I got to this one my brain was halfway dead. Not to mention all the little spelling or grammatical errors that are bound to pop up...I was in a bit of a hurry. Hopefully this is still okay despite that. It's short, but I think it still works.

So enjoy, and happy Valentine's Day!

**Based On Observation**

As a scientist, the power of observation is a crucial component to understanding. Being able to see and to process what is happening around you is an important aspect to gaining knowledge. And often, examining an individual's behavior is more revealing than hearing what the individual has to say.

There is an old aphorism: Actions speak louder than words. And I firmly believe that to be fact.

An individual may sometimes lie, but watching one's actions just may reveal what is hidden. Even if one is trying to act in a way he wants other to see him, his true behavior will eventually make itself known. But it is only with a trained eye and a keen sense of surveillance that one can grasp the little details that others might have missed, to acquire the truth underneath all the data. It is with this power of observation that one can obtain the answers to many questions.

The life of a scientist is never easy, however. Once some questions are answered, thousands of others tend to develop. And reasoning can be flawed, even in the brightest of minds.

Perhaps that was my problem. Perhaps the cause for my inability to reach a conclusion before was because of my inaccurate judgment. And perhaps this was so because, as much as I hate to admit to such, I lack the intelligence in this particular field. Compared to other topics, this is still fairly new to me.

Matters of the mind are relatively simple for me to comprehend. But matters of the _heart_…To put it bluntly, I'm out of my league.

That did not prevent me from trying, however. I had the perfect opportunity to monitor this phenomenon, using two of my own teammates as the subjects for my study.

After all, it was not hard to see that _something_ was going on (as Chiro so eloquently phrased it) between Sprx and Nova. As a curious scientific mind, what else could I do but examine them to try and figure out what?

Collecting the data was easy enough; I watched their interactions with each other in the natural settings of the Super Robot, on the battlefield, and the like, and then compared those to their interactions with the other members of the team. I gathered pages of data by monitoring their actions, writing them down when I had the chance and making mental notes of any significant information when I did not.

The difficulty lied in _interpreting _the data.

When I had time, I poured through my notes, trying to uncover the answer to my questions. And for a long while, I feared my research would be inconclusive. Based on the behaviors of my two teammates, I could not say for certain what occurred between them. And, frustrated, I scrutinized every detail to determine the problem.

Previously, I wondered if the trouble was with the subjects I chose to study. I quickly ruled Sprx as a confounding factor, because I felt it was easy to interpret and understand his behavior. Despite minor occasions regarding other female specimens, his devotion to Nova was clearly revealed in the most urgent moments. His concern for her often overrode any rationale, and even his continuous banter and flirtation was just a superficial manifestation of his true underlying affection. With enough thought and reflection of his actions, Sprx's feelings were rather obvious to discover.

Perhaps it was Nova, then? Actually, her conduct was much more complicated to decipher. While there were instances when it appeared that she reciprocated Sprx's feelings…when she shared the same concern and devotion to Sprx during times of trial…there were other moments when she seemed absolutely repelled by him. I have accounts of every time she hit him, every outburst for his bothersome deeds, every glare, every critical remark…And as I looked through all the evidence, I simply could not ascertain what her true feelings were.

But now I see that it was only because of my own uncertainty in the area I was trying to investigate.

Because in the end, I finally received the answer I was looking for.

After Sprx was corrupted by the Fire of Hate and was…not quite himself, I realized the truth when Nova professed it in her attempt to reason with him. We all heard it, actually.

Honestly, though, it was not so much _what_ she said. After all, we all loved Sprx in one form or another. As I stated beforehand, an individual's _actions_ is more telling than what an individual _says_.

No, it was not because Nova said she loved him. It didn't really matter _what_ she said. All that mattered was, as she said it, she was _crying_.

And I have never seen Nova cry before.

There were always plenty of opportunities for her to do so. I don't believe _I _have ever given her a reason to shed any tears, but certainly there were times when she came close. The event when we sent Mandarin away, Antauri's death and rebirth, Otto's close brush with death, and various events regarding Chiro…Each incident was perfectly acceptable for her – or anyone – to begin crying, but Nova never did.

Because she all her tears were saved for Sprx.

So now, after all this time of researching, of gathering and interpreting data…after all this time of wondering and investigating, I have finally reached the conclusion that has eluded me for so long. I finally have the answer.

But the scientific process never ends. After one obtains the answer to one question, others are never far behind.

Sprx and Nova _love_ each other. So what will happen between them now?

**The End**


End file.
